One Day At A Time
by cdharma31
Summary: What could have happened after the last scene in A Thousand Cranes - CARBY


One Day At A Time  
  
Chapter 1  
  
This takes place immediately after the last scene of "A Thousand Cranes." I would have liked to see this in the episode, but I am not the writer and I don't own any of them so I thought I would write my own little fan fiction the way that I wanted it to happen. So please, please, please R&R or else I might not have the strength to write more. After all, why write it if no one wants to read it. Here goes.  
  
Abby has just opened the box with the ring in it. She is awestruck at the sight of it. She suddenly feels sad and bewildered. Was he going to ask me tonight? She thought to herself. Did I ruin it? She was dazed and confused as she stood there staring at the ring. "What are you doing?" John had walked up behind her, startling her. "I - I was just hanging up your coat," she picked it up and walked it over to the coat rack. "No you weren't, you were snooping," he said slightly annoyed. "Honestly, it just fell out." John looked at her. She loved that look in his eyes, the look he always gave her when he knew she was trying to hide something from him. "Is it for me?" She asked slowly. "It was, but now I am not so sure." John walked away and sat on the couch. Abby closed the box and walked over to him. "Not so sure? Did I miss something?" "No, I had it all worked out, the restaurant, the question, everything, and then.." He broke off. "Then what?" Abby pressed. "I just didn't get the vibe from you. I didn't feel like you were into it, like you wanted it." Abby sighed heavily and bowed her head. She set the box on the table. "You over analyze things, you know that? I love you, and nothing is ever going to change that. Do you understand that?" "I love you too, but is that enough? You drink, and you're a drunk. You get angry and don't want to talk to me. I don't know if we can have a relationship like that anymore. I want to be there for you, but you have to let me." "You said you wouldn't try and fix me." "And I won't. I don't think I have been. I didn't even say a word when I came home from Belize and saw the half empty bottle on the counter." "Ahh, half empty, the pessimist." "You know what I mean Abby." "And you know me. Things are finally where I want them to be, so to speak. Maggie's staying on her meds and I have accepted that Eric will come home when he's ready. And then there's you. You have been my foundation through a lot of things. You came home when I told you not to. You stayed with me when you didn't have to. Why?" "I don't know." He paused. "I was sitting in the jeep with your mom, talking about you. I told her that I spend 23 hours a day thinking about why we shouldn't be together and then I get to the 24th hour and realize that I had been thinking about you for all that time and realize that's what I want, you." "Then why don't you act like it? Why give me the whole song and dance about our relationship about how it's growing and changing? We are who we are Carter, and I am who I am. Nothing is going to change me. Richard always had these expectations and look where that ended." "I don't want us to end up like that. I don't have any expectations or standards that I expect you to meet. I just want us to be us." "We are, John, we always will be," Abby stood from the couch and turned her back to him. "I don't get it. I thought things were going so well with us. I didn't think we had any problems that we couldn't talk about." "Drinking," John muttered under his breath. "I heard that." She paused, "Look, you're right, I probably shouldn't be drinking. I agree, but I also think that I am an adult and until it interferes with my life the way it did before, I don't think it's a problem to have a few with the girls, and that's all it really has been, just cuttin' loose." "That's how it starts. That's how it started before." "No, before I drank because I was unhappy and I hated my life. Now I drink really for no reason at all." "Then why do it?" Abby paused. She crinkled her face at him and tried to speak, but she really didn't know what to say to that. She gave him one last look and walked over to the cupboard. He was right. If she didn't have a reason, then why bother? She opened it and pulled out the half empty bottle of tequila. She took the lid off and dumped it in the sink. "What are you doing?" John asked surprised. "If this is what it takes," she looked at him. "Look," she set the empty bottle on the counter and walked over and knelt in front of him. "I am not going to change. I am who I am and I love you for everything that you are to me. Marriage is work and I am willing to do that. But you have to be willing to accept me, with everything that comes along. We are going to fight, we are going to argue, and then, we are going to make up." She smiled seductively at him and lifted her head to his. "We just need to take it one day at a time." Her lips touched his and he wrapped his arms around her. "Now," she pulled away from him and picked the box up off of the coffee table. "For better or for worse," "In sickness and in health," "Till death do us part," "Abby Lockhart," he opened the box and pulled out the ring, "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" "Yes!" She planted another kiss on him as he slipped the ring on her finger. John held her close to him. He suddenly felt this rush of energy zip through him and he realized he was ecstatic. He was elated at the very thought. "You know what this means, don't you?" Abby looked into his eyes. "What?" "You are going to have to be at my beckon call." "You think so?" "Either that or I'm going to have to tell everyone at work that you chickened out and I had to ask you!" "You wouldn't dare?" "Oh, I would dare," she smiled and leaned in to kiss him again. Carter swooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. 


End file.
